University Athletic Association

pradam · March 11, 2009, 10:41:03 AM

Quote from: deiscanton on March 11, 2009, 04:15:00 AM
I just wanted to post here to say that my friend Mr. Robert C. Paul of Sharon, MA (Harvard '44-- college classmate of former Brandeis athletic director Nick Rodis) passed away as of Monday, March 9, 2009 at approx. 12:45 AM Eastern. That corresponds to Adar 13, 5769 on the Hebrew calendar. To me, Mr. Paul was most involved in my life as the one who drove me to Brandeis basketball games for the past few years and as the one who would give me Fig Newtons as my snack to fuel me up before the big games. Mr. Paul was also known by many as the #1 women's soccer fan of Brandeis University, just as I am known by many as Brandeis's #1 basketball fan. His obituary is printed in the Boston Globe for March 11, 2009. I will deeply miss him and his companionship.

Alan:

I just wanted to offer my condolences. I never knew Mr. Paul, but it sounds like he was a wonderful person.

For everyone else: As a reference to Mr. Paul, here's a profile we wrote about him a few years ago.

http://media.www.thejusticeonline.com/media/storage/paper573/news/2005/11/08/Sports/Profile.Who.Is.Mr.Paul.Brandeis.Wildest.Fan.Is.Over.80.And.Really.Likes.Granola-1049402.shtml

quaj · March 12, 2009, 12:48:46 PM

Quote from: deiscanton on March 11, 2009, 04:15:00 AM
I just wanted to post here to say that my friend Mr. Robert C. Paul of Sharon, MA (Harvard '44-- college classmate of former Brandeis athletic director Nick Rodis) passed away as of Monday, March 9, 2009 at approx. 12:45 AM Eastern. That corresponds to Adar 13, 5769 on the Hebrew calendar. To me, Mr. Paul was most involved in my life as the one who drove me to Brandeis basketball games for the past few years and as the one who would give me Fig Newtons as my snack to fuel me up before the big games. Mr. Paul was also known by many as the #1 women's soccer fan of Brandeis University, just as I am known by many as Brandeis's #1 basketball fan. His obituary is printed in the Boston Globe for March 11, 2009. I will deeply miss him and his companionship.

I would like to extend my condolences as well. He sounds like a wonderful person and an amazing fan. Good luck to the Judges against Muhlenberg.

deiscanton · March 13, 2009, 03:04:37 PM

Well, I am now at Frost Library at Amherst College, and it is about 1/2 hour before LeFrak Gym's gates open for Friday's games.

Let's get as many UAA teams into the Elite Eight as we can, and I hope that one of them is Brandeis. I'll even take NYU over Amherst if necessary.

ronk · March 13, 2009, 04:50:59 PM

Quote from: deiscanton on March 13, 2009, 03:04:37 PM
Well, I am now at Frost Library at Amherst College, and it is about 1/2 hour before LeFrak Gym's gates open for Friday's games.

Let's get as many UAA teams into the Elite Eight as we can, and I hope that one of them is Brandeis. I'll even take NYU over Amherst if necessary.

Deis,
Looking forward to your review of the Muhlenberg game.

Laserty · March 14, 2009, 12:03:40 AM

what about those lord jeffs?

deiscanton · March 14, 2009, 08:38:32 AM

Posting this morning from the Holiday Inn Express in Hadley, MA. I got assigned by Hotwire to this hotel, which is coincidentally the Brandeis team hotel as well.

The recap on the Brandeis Judges athletics web site says a lot about what I was going to say about the Muhlenberg game. A few quick thoughts. Brandeis played a great team game throughout the contest, and Brandeis really contested Muhlenberg's 3 point shots-- Chili was especially contested on her 3 pt shooting. Chili only made 2 of 7 from 3 pt range, and Muhlenberg only hit 5 3's, which Brandeis matched. A close contest in the beginning until Brandeis broke it open with a 20-0 run. When Chapin picked up her 3rd foul with 3 min to go in the first half, Brandeis made sure that they would go into the locker room with a double-digit lead. When the second half began, Brandeis stopped Muhlenberg's momentum and brought it back to an 18 point lead. Muhlenberg got to within 7, but Brandeis held on for the win. I got more encouraged when Brandeis led at halftime (Brandeis only lost once this season when leading at halftime), and then got even more encouraged when Brandeis broke the 60 pt mark on the scoreboard, then the 70 pt mark, and finally the 80 pt mark. Muhlenberg broke 60 on the scoreboard as well, so it was a good thing that the Judges shot 50% against Muhlenberg's defensive pressure for the game.

Brandeis women now have matched the Brandeis men's feat from last season. Tonight, the Judges will do their best to surpass it against an Amherst squad that is as least as good as advertised. This should be an exciting Elite Eight game, and I remember what the Amherst men did to Brandeis last season, so I'm looking forward to a women's rematch version.

quaj · March 14, 2009, 11:04:40 AM

Good luck to the Judges. It would be nice to have two UAA teams in the Final Four. I'll be driving to the women's game today over at Illinois Wesleyan to see if the Bears can pull an upset.
I'm writing this from a motel outside of Wheaton as I watched the men's game last night. It's a tough choice with both Wash. U. teams playing tonight at the same time.

loveofthegameq · March 14, 2009, 10:15:22 PM

First time poster to the UAA message boards. Alum of the Iowa Conference. Saw where there was a posting for the University of Chicago assistant coaching position. Wanted to see of there were any University of Chicago supporters or anyone from the league that could give me more info? Did an assistant leave or are they adding a position? Any info on the style of play? Type of school? Thanks for your help!

Laserty · March 14, 2009, 10:57:03 PM

what about those lord jeffs?

deiscanton · March 15, 2009, 07:57:29 AM

In the tournament competition over the weekend, I was not able to review Amherst's performance against NYU and Brandeis-- I will do this later on today.

G.P. Gromacki proved over the weekend that he is one of the best coaches in DIII Women's basketball-- impressive victories over the Violets and my Judges, and he is going on to his second Final Four determined to correct his 2002 mistake and finally get a Walnut and Bronze. Amherst faces Wash U next in what should be another exciting battle as Gromacki goes up against the legendary Nancy Fahey and the Wash U Bears-- the "Franchise" of the UAA-- on Friday. George Fox and TCNJ meet in the other national semifinal, and whoever wins out next weekend will be a very deserving national champion.

PS-- I am very glad that Amherst decided not to cut down their nets last night-- as Amherst made it to their first Final Four on the women's side, the Jeffs were entitled to cut down the nets in LeFrak Gym for that feat alone (most teams making it to a Final Four cut down nets when they win an Elite Eight contest), but I applaud Gromacki for deciding not to cut down nets unless the Jeffs win a national championship.

PPS to Laserty-- You are acting like a fan of Jimmy Johnson's Dallas Cowboys football team when they dominated the NFLright now-- (I believe that the post should not read "What about", but "How about dem Lord Jeffs?"-- That is the way a Dallas fan would post it.)-- but you deserve it as Amherst walked the walk over the weekend.

sumfun · March 15, 2009, 10:23:59 AM

I think the match up with Amherst and Wash U should be a great one and the third UAA team in a row that the Jeffs will have to face.

quaj · March 16, 2009, 06:13:32 AM

Quote from: sumfun on March 15, 2009, 10:23:59 AM
I think the match up with Amherst and Wash U should be a great one and the third UAA team in a row that the Jeffs will have to face.

Agreed. We'll see how the Lord Jeffs do versus the UAA champion this year. It's also interesting because on the men's side, Wash. U. beat Amherst last year for the championship. Fans on both sides who were there for that game will probably remember that.

mark_reichert · March 19, 2009, 09:42:45 PM

There's a nice writeup in Notables on the WashU programs by Andrei Berman, focusing on the closeness of the teams that UAA style road trips foster:

http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2009/03/19/off-the-floor-bears-all-friends.html

daoustian · March 20, 2009, 05:46:11 PM

Couldn't watch the video due to firewall issues but just watching the play-by-play on the box score, it looks like WashU took it to the Jeffs in a physical way and were just the better team. Amherst doesn't lose anything to graduation for a couple of years and presuming that more recruits are in the pipeline, this will not be their last trip to the Final Four.

deiscanton · March 20, 2009, 05:55:30 PM

I watched the video through my Firefox browser. Wash U really figured out how to play Amherst, and it showed. I think the Bears will be the favorite tomorrow against either George Fox or TCNJ, although I think that George Fox will probably be the tougher matchup for the Bears should the Bruins win the second semifinal.

The Wash U women will now play for a national championship, and the Wash U men have another half to go before they join the Wash U women in that feat, as the Wash U men are leading Guilford by double digits right now. As a Brandeis alum, I would like to play the national champions in both the men and the women next fall, and I am just glad that Amherst will not take a Walnut and Bronze this season in basketball. Let Amherst take it in women's ice hockey if they have to get a Walnut and Bronze this season.

Brandeis and Amherst need to start a regular season rivalry in women's hoop-- the Brandeis and Amherst teams have always played each other in men's hoop every season, so why not have non-conference doubleheaders in that series now?